


Too Many Eyes - Joeyverse Crossover

by inkabelle_designs



Category: Bendy and the Ink Machine
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-29
Updated: 2020-08-21
Packaged: 2020-09-29 16:24:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 19,095
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20438990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inkabelle_designs/pseuds/inkabelle_designs
Summary: Written for the Crossover theme for Halfusek's Demonth Prompt List (Summer 2019)When one Joey Drew finds another, it can be a joyous occasion, but not every Joey is made of sunshine and rainbows, especially when power is at stake. What will become of a fusion when a dastardly old coot tries to pry at their secrets? See what happens when one Drew messes with the world of another, and how dire the consequences can be.





	1. Bring Him to Me

**Author's Note:**

  * For [PipesFlowForeverandEver](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PipesFlowForeverandEver/gifts), [BallofYarn](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BallofYarn/gifts).

From the Desk of Kat Alyst

Joey Drew was a name shared by many universes. Some were kind and made honest mistakes, while others had hearts darker than the blackest of ink. But then you had cases that fell between the extremes, painted in shades of gray, and those were the cases that often found each other. For where there is a Joey Drew, there will always be a cat-like curiosity, an interest that often spirals into obsession. Such is the case with our fellow here today. 

It started as an innocent slip of the tongue. The demon known as Belphene has been chatting with her contractor, just casual talk after a long business meeting, when she said “I’m grateful that you’re my Joey.” Never once had she considered that he would inquire about the realms beyond his own. He had everything he could ever want in this one, what more could he desire? That was the day Giuseppe Drew learned just what kinds of worlds existed outside of the reality he crafted.

It turned out there was a plethora of worlds to explore, all equipped with a chap that shared his proud name. And stranger still was just how aware they were! Some crossed into each other’s realms all the time, for silly things as well as serious ones. And stranger than that: they were friends. It sounded awfully narcissistic to be friends with yourself, but they were all so different, so colorful and inspired, that maybe it wasn’t so self-involved. Giuseppe had many reasons to fear and admire them. From the raw intensity of Edward’s aura to the soft and gentle joy in Polaris' smile, there was something beautiful in all of them. But one trio caught his attention, one that seemingly feared no consequences when it came to the untapped potential of magic. 

Yes, of course it had to start with a spirit as bright as Gingie’s. Giuseppe had always been attracted to bright lights. Like a moth drawn to flames, he set his sights on the elder, curious. Where did his childlike wonder come from, how was it that he was so magical, so mystifying? Many a time, he considered inviting his apprentice to watch with him, sharing such visage with a young mind ought to be good for them. But he had never been good at sharing. Of course, he had a rationale, saying he’d let Bella taste true magic soon enough, once they were out of his hellscape of a studio. But alas, would it ever be true? From his ancient office, he pondered such possibilities, watching lives much happier than his own. He saw so much love and spirit in the pumpkin haired fellow, so much happiness that it threatened to burst right through his heart. If a man like Gingie could be happy, surely so could he. Surely so could his family, couldn’t they?

Giuseppe took great pleasure in watching him, especially when Snowy or Hyde were around. A very strange family they were, but between loving spouses, lovely sons and daughters, and their hearty circle of friends, it was better than anything a television station could hope to air. Through the looking glass on his desk, a stolen monocle from the great Bertrum Piedmont, he spied on everyone’s antics without making so much as a peep, no different than when he watched his prisoners. It was as though he were reading a book by a genius author, he felt a connection, like he was beginning to understand them as people, even though he’d never uttered so much as a word to them. From Magenta’s dark duality to Hyde’s grieving heart over his sick sunshines, from Snowy’s bravery and style to Algernon’s frozen soul, all the way to Joy’s ever-shifting emotions. He saw their tears, their hope, their pain, and yet something was missing. Something intimate he had not earned. For while Giuseppe thought he knew them, he could only see the surface. No different than within his studio, he couldn’t search the depths, he couldn’t see what they did not reveal. 

And as to be expected from a man named Joey Drew, the more he saw happiness, the more envious he became, the more he wanted to make it his. He was jealous of just how deep their ties were. Never in his years had he felt such comradery, such a sense of family, not since his childhood days climbing trees with little Henry Stein. Some days he yearned to reveal himself, but how could he? A first impression was difficult to form, how could he make a good one when there was so much resting on his conscience? No, they’d never want him, they couldn’t understand why he’d done what he’d done, and there was no way he could hide it from them. If his own family couldn’t love him, then how could they? He’d tried so desperately to get Eliza and Bella back by his side, away from the monsters he made, but they wouldn’t return, they ran away. They were so dead set on freeing his former staff from the curse he’d placed on them. Foolish children, why wouldn’t they listen? Why didn’t they understand that there were sins for the monsters to atone for?

Then, just like a cartoon’s script, a glimmer of hope was found. It wasn’t until he saw Minty that he knew what must be done. It was him that helped him to theorize how to truly understand another. At first, he’d only heard the strange name in passing, spying on the ginger-haired grandfather as he recalled such events in his journal. But eventually, he witnessed fusion for himself. And boy was it a secret to be in on! So many possibilities filled his mind the more he saw, from the bumbling Chestnut to Frosty and his overzealous amount of limbs. But no matter his watching, he couldn’t decipher the spells that merged these men together. Fate seemed to block them from view. Of course he wanted to know how it was done, fusion seemed to be the ultimate partnership. Perhaps it could be the key to getting back his legacy, his progeny. Lawrence and the others caused his daughters’ trust to slip, their view of him to change. He had to stop it before he lost his chance for good, or else he’d never be able to take back what had rightfully been his. So like any good storyteller, he hatched himself a plan, a devious, ethically questionable plan. His watching shifted, as did his empathy, from entertainment to observation. And like any good scientist, he recorded every detail that mattered, until he deduced the best candidate to give him the answers: Cinnamon.

Gingie and Hyde were an unlikely pair. What made them merge together was still unclear, but on the rare occasion they did, it was dreamlike. Gingie had even gone to the trouble of starting a small garden just for them, a quiet place to talk and bond as they tended to the blooms and spices. Sometimes, Giuseppe caught Cinnamon babysitting for Snowy and Ana, always a relaxing experience. Cinnamon brought the best out of both men and put it together like a nicely decorated cake, or maybe snickerdoodles in this case. They had tenderness, a side Hyde wasn’t usually quick to reveal. The fusion was so gentle, acting as if the world was glass, and one misstep would break it. It was like he feared what he was capable of. In some ways, it brought out the heavy heart in both of them, fears of repeating past mistakes. No one would dare call them insecure, but uncomfortable seemed to be accurate. For beneath their frilly bows and ruffles, they danced with demons, demons who knew all too well how to lead a tango. Giuseppe could relate. He didn’t feel remorse often, but when he did, it hit like a brick to the face.

It was this shared vulnerability that made Cinnamon perfect for his needs. Joey kept an eye out, always waiting for a time to get them alone. After all, he wouldn’t dare drag anyone else into this. There was no way he would let Snowy come to their rescue, nor would he let harm come to the children they cared for. As heartless as he may have seemed, even Giuseppe had standards. Though since children were clearly the key to a father’s heart, then perhaps they could help him. After all, the other path to someone’s heart is through their stomach.

It was a peaceful evening in the Drew household. Snowy and Ana had gone out for the night, while Hyde and Gingie had volunteered to babysit. After all, Mary Jane and Ivy would never pass up on a sleepover with Joy. Even baby Linda had fun when they were together. The girls could be trouble though, especially with the mischief Ivy liked to cause. So naturally, it took a super parent to keep things under control, certainly a good reason to join together. Cinnamon was the perfect guest for dress-up and tea parties, and he was equally loved by all the daughters. They had a grand old time playing and baking as he helped them to make a tollhouse pie that night. 

But as all good things must come to an end, the girls eventually had to go to bed. After reading stories and singing lullabies, four little heads were tucked in tightly, a tender kiss left upon each brow. Cinnamon made his way back down the stairs, cotton candy swirls of sparkles trailed behind him to keep their dreams sweet. Like a sorcerer, he conducted with his hands and cleaned up the mess from all their fun, sweeping away spilled flour and loose chocolate chips. He crossed over to the kitchen’s kettle and smiled to himself as he brewed his favorite tea. So many lovely thoughts filled his head, his three eyes threatened to burst with joyful tears. How grateful he was, to have so much love in his life. He stood there lost in thought until the whistle of the kettle pulled him back to reality. He poured the hot water into his favorite teacup and proceeded to cut himself another piece of the pie. Content, he walked over to the living room and laid back in the cozy recliner, much too small to accommodate his height. He sighed dreamily, content with their evening and ready to enjoy the fruits of their labor. He savored every last bite of that scrumptious pie. The girls had doubled the sugar when he wasn’t looking, which made it terribly grainy, but oh so sweet on the fusion’s tongue. 

Though speaking of not looking, there was something amiss that failed to catch his attention. The earlier chaos in the kitchen had too many cooks around, making it difficult to notice the appearance of another. Belphene had invaded undetected to share a little extra in their recipe. It wasn’t a bad ingredient by any means, just a few drops of sleep elixir. Nothing lethal, she wouldn’t dare, just enough to make sure no one woke up before the time was right. 

Clearly the time had come. No sooner had he finished dessert, poor Cinnamon fell into a deep slumber. While visions of sugarplums danced in his head, a dark curtain hung itself over the room. An inky void slowly opened in the corner, letting a smog slip above the carpet. The demoness manifested as quietly as a mouse, mindful not to disturb any of Snowy’s interior decorating. She set her sights on the three-eyed man, her own eyes glowing softly in the darkness. Even in her regret, she was graceful, gliding soundlessly across the floor she picked them up and carried them off like a bride to a happily ever after. 

If only that were their destination.

On the other side of the void, an old man tapped his foot to the ticking of the Bendy clock on his wall. His grin shone brightly under the low lights, anticipating his lovely Belphene’s return. Sure enough, she was prompt to arrive, her precious cargo snoozing away as she entered. Belphene wore a smile for Mr. Drew, carrying Cinnamon to the secret room within the office: the prison cell. Usually, it was reserved for the worst outliers in his twisted little world, but he was happy to relocate them in favor of his most treasured guest. Yes, Mr. Cinnamon would get the V.I.P. treatment, Mr. Drew was sure of that.

Once his limbs were secured to the wall, Cinnamon was left to rest for a little while longer. That part of the task was in Joey’s hands now. Belphene scurried off. She had other things to attend to. After all, it would be awfully irresponsible to leave the children without a babysitter. 

Cinnamon didn’t know where they were when they awoke. Two minds were groggy and troubled as they gained consciousness in their predicament. But the minute they felt the chains that held them back, the fight for freedom began.


	2. Impostor Syndrome

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Imprisoned within Joey Drew's office, Cinnamon finds himself sucked into a nefarious plot drafted by Giuseppe Drew. Though not all is as it seems, for, in times of great need, kind souls tend to find each other.
> 
> Meanwhile, back at Snowy's household, the demon Belphene is playing babysitter for four lovely little girls. Here's hoping she can keep up the act, it's not easy being an impostor.

#  **Chapter 2: Imposter Syndrome**

Cinnamon was capable of many things. He could be sweeter than pie whenever he wished, but this was not the time to be sugary. No, this was the time for calling upon the power of an inner beast. His glare upon the wicked man before him was so wrathful, and yet, it was also...hurt. Why, why would this stranger throw him in shackles? What did he know to think that the three of them deserved this? Cinnamon did not know. He knew a great deal of things, but this was not one of them. And the silence gave no answer as they watched each other, curious but frustrated. 

“Interesting. I would’ve thought you’d been more talkative gentlemen, the ginger always struck me as a chatty Kathy.” Giuseppe smirked, leaning on his walking stick with a smugness on his face. “I’m sure you have so many questions. Where you are, how you got here, who’s caring for your little ones-” 

“What have you done to them!” The fusion screamed. That struck a nerve. 

Giuseppe couldn’t help but chuckle, that smugness never left him. “Nothing, what do you take me for, a barbarian? No man by the name of Joey Drew would dare hurt a child on purpose. Isn’t that right, Mr. Hyde?” 

Cinnamon jerked back a little. Another nerve. “Who are you, and what is it you want with us?”

“Ah, straight to the point. I knew there was a reason I liked you.” Giuseppe tapped his stick twice upon the floor, a projector screen dropped down from the ceiling to become his backdrop. A flickering light with no real source lit up the elder’s face. Age had not been kind to him. While he’d managed to keep most of his long brown hair, it was speckled with gray and combed over to one side, the rest shaggily clumping at his neck. His wrinkles had wrinkles, long hours of working through plots and watching the worlds steadily catching up with him. His eyes were like marbles, lilac and cold from behind his glasses. His mustache, how it bristled, prickly as a fir tree in winter. But the most interesting thing that Cinnamon could see was that he seemed to be rendered in full colors against the sepia world, just as they were, save for one thing. The scarf that broke up the ocean of gray, it was an aged yellow, with two large splatters of ink staining it. It was clear then who he must be, there was only one name foolish enough to mess with ink. 

“Giuseppe Octavius Drew, at your service.” He took a little bow, his arm adding a little flourish. “And I’m sure you’re familiar with this little slice of hell. Welcome to the studio.” He grinned. For someone so old, his teeth were in surprisingly good shape, but the smile was wicked. “As for why you’re here, well, isn’t that just a deep question? Aren’t we all wondering why we’re here, what our purpose is in the greater narrative of life?” He laughed. “What do I want with you? You say that like I’m here to use you, and my good sirs, that’s far from my intention. No, I’m merely here to have a conversation. There’s a bit of, business, shall we say, to attend to, a problem I need solved. And I believe you might have the solution.” 

Cinnamon spit on the ground. “You’ve certainly got a funny way of doing business. Do you strap everyone you deal with to the wall?” The sarcasm dripped from his double toned voice. 

Internally, there was much more panic than they let on. They knew how bad a Joey Drew could be if left to his own devices, with no one to talk him out of his nightmares. They couldn’t help but think that this one was too far gone to be reasoned with. Still, Gingie was determined to try. And Hyde would let him, to a point. 

“Oh no, not everyone, that’s reserved for the important ones.” He cackled, as though that was supposed to be funny. “I’d be happy to let you down. Heck, I’m happy to send you right on back to your humble abode as soon as possible. There’s just one little thing I need from you, one eensy weensy little favor. Surely you could do that for me, couldn’t you?” He batted his eyes in a manner far too inappropriate for his age. Clearly he’d spent too much time animating Alice. 

“Goodness, very funny dealings indeed.” Cinnamon shook his head. “Get to the point. What is it you want Mr. Giuseppe?”

“Simply put, I’d like to be in on your little secret. All of this,” he gestured to the taller man, his fingers wiggled in a sparkly manner, “is fascinating. Two or more people, bound together as one, understanding one another in ways no human being could possibly imagine.” 

His gaze was focused on the floor, a bit of sadness snuck into his visage. “For years I’ve tried to create wonders, for years I’ve fought for a dream that has never come true, all because someone has gotten in my way. Henry, Lawrence, Bertie, all of them, they never truly understood what we were trying to accomplish.” His grip on his cane tightened, his teeth grit. “But finally, I found the right souls to make it a reality. I found my legacy, my girls, the ones I can hand the studio over to when the time is right. Someone who can make my vision a reality.” He slammed his stick on the ground, his dark gaze staring them down. “But they were taken from me again! That incompetent abomination has taken my apprentice in with his ‘flock,’ he’s brainwashed her, turned her against me too! And that angel, taking my daughter away, I won’t stand for it! Don’t you see? I need them to understand, I need them in order to fix everything, make reality back into what it should be! You must help me, think of all the people it could save!” The more he spoke, the more hysterical he sounded. “The company would be afloat, I could stop preserving them all here, let them back into the realm from whence they came, just as wonderful as it used to be! A world full of joy, a world where Bendy can breathe again at long last!”

Now, as much as Giuseppe knew of Gingie and Hyde, he was lacking in some areas. Of course he’d heard of the wretched thing Hyde had done to his daughter, and of course the powers that freed Mary Jane and Ivy from their curse were a famous tale. But what Giuseppe did not know was the motive for such actions. Perhaps he had assumed that Hyde would share in his values, that the success of the business was his goal, and that he would help to have a chance at what he himself could never obtain, and that the sympathetic sap that Gingie was would go right along with it. But Giuseppe was wrong, very very wrong. For unlike Hyde, he did not understand love, not really. He could never hope to know the feeling of doing whatever it took to save your loved ones, to want for them not just a better future, but to have a future in the first place. He could not know the agony, the tears silently shed behind closed doors, the regrets and the anger at those costly mistakes.

He would never have expected them to lash out. This was an anger that even the sweet ginger couldn’t hold back. For what made Cinnamon who he was, who they were, came from a place of love. Love that was living, and love that was lost. Love that was young, and love that was old. Love for fiction, and love for reality. The thing that kept them together was a shared love for people worth protecting, and there was no way in hell they were about to let such a foolish mistake be made. 

“The secret of fusion is not yours to obtain, especially when you intend to use it to hurt people like that,” they said. A growl escaped their tender throat, quite a startling sound from a man who looked like the personification of strawberry cheesecake. “I don’t know who you think you are, but if you think you can just kidnap me, threaten my family, and steal a magic far too dangerous for most men, you’re sadly mistaken. Release me, or the consequences will only worsen.” 

Giuseppe just smiled and shook his head. The craze in his eyes had died down, but he wasn’t free from mania just yet. “Are you really so blind as to-” 

“You know calling me blind isn’t exactly intuitive to getting what you want.”

“Well neither is accusing me of kidnapping you!” 

“Good sir, do you not know the definition of kidnapping?”

“Well you’re not a child, so how is it kidnapping?” 

Had his arms not been restrained, there’s a good chance Cinnamon would’ve held his face in frustration. He was dealing with a maniac, a stupid maniac. Enough playing along with this cat and mouse game. Cinnamon knew he made the better cat anyway, so the cat he would be! He prepared to cast a spell to give them a speedy getaway.

All that came next was screaming.

Like iron to a fairy, poor Cinnamon was burned by his shackles when he attempted to release himself, cursed with a demon’s spell no doubt. Oh it hurt, it hurt so much, like he was being drowned in a river of lava with his mouth open, everything burned and charred. Giuseppe just smiled, an impish cackle allowing itself out under his breath. Cinnamon laid there in pain once the spell calmed down, his screaming turned to futile panting. Weakness, utter weakness. 

“It seems you gentlemen need some time to think it over.” Giuseppe got up from leaning on his cane and twirled it beside him in a dapper fashion before slamming it on the ground. “Alright then. I’ll be back in a little while. I do hope you’ll have a better answer by then. Ta-ta!” He laughed as he headed out, tapping his cane thrice more to open the door and close it, locking them inside. What were they going to do now? How would they ever get home?

  
  


Meanwhile, being that home is where the heart is, a demoness made herself comfortable in Snowy’s household. After all, Belphene merely needed to keep an ear out for the children while the adults were gone, that was easy enough. She slipped into the bathroom with a bag suited for a nanny and opened it up. As though reaching into the void of a hammerspace, she pulled from her purse a lovely cream colored suit and dress shoes. If she were to play the babysitter, she’d have to be dressed for the part, yes? Quickly she slipped herself into the outfit. Goodness knows she enjoyed a nice suit, the devilish grin that stared back at her in the mirror said it all. 

“Ginger certainly has good taste, I’ll have to find another occasion to wear this.” She laughed, a tinkling sound that echoed off the tile. “Just one more thing to make it all come together.” 

Reaching into her purse again, she pulled out a delightful top hat. Tucked in its brim were circular spectacles, fit for a kindly grandfather. She carefully put them on, going for the hat soon after. With it placed upon her head, there was a shift in her appearance. No longer was her skin like caramel, it was light and rosy in the cheeks. A long ponytail of smoke faded into a carrot top, ticklish sideburns and a mustache making up for the lost length. Button nose, lips made for goodnight kisses and merry tunes, and a height far shorter than she was used to all came into focus. But unfortunately, there was one thing she couldn’t match perfectly. While the shape was good enough, the color of Gingie’s eyes were beyond her control, but she hoped the pumpkin-y hue of hers would be close enough to the honey of his. She smiled and cleared her throat, a far more masculine cough sounded from her pipes. 

“Yes, that will do quite nicely. Now then, let’s make this worth all the trouble, shall we?”

The ginger imposter released herself from the bathroom and headed towards the kitchen. While she’d watched quietly before, she was quite jealous that she didn’t get to participate. So for now, she’d bake on her own. It never hurt to make brownies to share, did it? Forbidden chocolate was her specialty.

It went on quietly enough for an hour, with the brownies successfully cooling from the oven. Belphene had gathered plenty of sprinkles and colors of frosting to decorate them too. But before she could start, there was a cry from upstairs. The demon hurried to answer the little one’s call, and was quick to discover a fussy little Linda in her crib. Belphene scooped the baby up with a touch as tender as a butterfly and carried her out so as not to disturb the girls. She went back downstairs to the rocking chair and sat down, carefully cuddling the young one. Alas, her crying was persistent. 

“Oh sweetie, darling sugarplum, what’s the matter?” She pouted as she lifted the baby up to face her. “It’s so late, a princess such as yourself ought to be dreaming by now. How can Papa Gin make it better, hmm?” 

Linda stared at her with teary eyes, her little lips quivering. The lowlights of the living room reflected off her pretty eyes. Goodness, she really was an angel, wasn’t she? Belphene was lucky that was only a metaphor, no burning tonight thank you. With a nostalgic touch from caring for Eliza all those years, she held the child close to her chest and burped her. Gas could be quite a pain when you were so inexperienced with getting rid of it. 

“Good girl!” Belphene exclaimed as the little girl burped. She gave her a pat on the back before tossing her up and catching her on the way down. Linda let out a joyous laugh, babbling and reaching towards the demon’s face. “Oh, you want the wiggly worm on my lip, don’t you?” She held Linda close to her face, and sure enough, the baby latched onto the mustache and pulled a little. Belphene laughed. 

“I know, it’s quite fun to play with, isn’t it?” She bounced the baby in her arms as she walked back in the kitchen. “Since you’re up anyway, wanna help me with the treats? I think your sisters will appreciate the surprise.” 

She winked and reached down to grab her spatula, when the thumping of feet caught her attention. She looked in the direction of the staircase, an eyebrow raised in skepticism. Carefully holding Linda close to her chest, she went forward to investigate, summoning from the air a cane topped with the devil darlin’s signature horned head. No, no intruders were going to harm the Drew household tonight, she had sworn to protect the family at all costs. Hundreds of thoughts swarmed her mind in that moment, for just a moment, she was scar-

“Boo!” 

“Gah!” The demoness tumbled backwards and landed on her bum, thankfully not dropping the baby in the process. A mischievous giggling echoed from above. There was Ivy, hanging from the banister, with Joy and Mary Jane behind her, trying to stifle their laughter. Belphene raised an eyebrow in amusement and stood up. “Oh very clever. You certainly got me good lambchop.” With a quick wave of her staff, Ivy and the girls could feel themselves being lifted off the ground and floating down to the grandfather’s side, each letting out a small shriek of surprise. “But you’ll have to keep practicing if you really want to get me.”

Ivy squished her fists into her cheeks, an unamused look on her mug. “Man, why ya gotta cut the fun short Candletop?” 

“I may be fun most of the time, but one must balance that with responsibility now and again.” The imposter winked. “Guess I didn’t dry the tears in time, you three seem far too awake for the hour.” 

Joy smirked and put her hands on her hips. “Come on Uncle Gingie, everybody knows the last thing you do at a sleepover is sleep. Besides, it smells so good down here!” 

“You’re gonna share that, right toots?” Ivy batted her eyelashes dramatically, her lips pursed in a comical begging for sugar. 

“Now girls, wouldn’t it be irresponsible if I sugared you up while Snowy is gone? Especially after that delightful pie?” Belphene smiled softly, her eyelids drooping halfway over the irises. “Though I suppose, just this once, I could make an exception-”

“Aw yeah, chocolate!” Joy and Ivy were about to run into the kitchen, when they were stopped by the cane. 

“That is of course, so long as you help me decorate them first.” 

“Of course!” Two tiny lasses hurried into the kitchen and immediately dove into the frosting. But Mary Jane stood in the threshold.   
  
“Uncle Gingie?”   
  


“Yes my darling? 

“Where’s Papa?”

Belphene had thought long and hard about this. She knew they’d ask, Hyde wasn’t the type of fellow to skimp on spending time near his daughter, not after all they’d been through. So of course, she had a response prepared, an alibi to keep them busy until the job was done. 

“He wasn’t feeling too well earlier, said he was headed out for a walk. He told me he’d be back later, he had something to take care of.” 

Mary Jane frowned and looked to the floor. Her hands nervously fidgeted with the hem of her nightgown. “I hope he’s okay, he’d better not be getting into any trouble.” 

“My Princess, dearest MJ, it’ll be alright. We must be optimistic. You’ve shown us just how great of a man he is at heart, surely he’ll be okay, yes?” She knelt down and hugged the girl gently around the middle. She rubbed her back gently. “I have faith in him. I have faith in all of us,” she whispered, “Belief is important to hold close, isn’t it?”

Mary Jane nodded and held the imposter tighter, her grip on the jacket nearly a squeeze. “It’ll be okay…” She smiled softly and closed her eyes, leaning into his tender hold. “We’re okay.” 

“And even if we weren’t, we always have the chance to be better.” Belphene smiled softly. She couldn’t help but feel a little guilty. Was there really any hope of her being better? She was a demon after all. She was bound to sin, no matter what she chose to do with her life, assuming she ever had a choice. And even so, she had gone against her contractor’s wishes multiple times, in keeping him away from his little prize. She only hoped she could do the right thing and not mess this up. But for now, she stood up proudly and took the young lady’s hand. It was time for sugar and spice, everything nice and right with the world. 

She just hoped her faith wasn’t misplaced. Her trump card had better pull through this time.

  
  


Jekyll had retreated into the corner of their mind, his face buried in his legs as he sat there in worry. Panic wasn’t accurate to how he felt, it was too much of a jumbled mess to really pinpoint as one thing. Concern, frustration, hurt, confusion, all sentiments his ginger roommate shared. No words needed to be spoken to understand each other. They were connected, in both their misery and their hope. 

“What could he be planning, what’s he going to do to them?” Jekyll shuddered. 

“How will he hurt them if we don’t comply?” Gingie held his face in his hands as he sat beside the elder. “Who will he target next? The girls? Snowy? Ana? Frankie?”

“Or what about the others? What universes has he entered, just how much does he know?” Jekyll reached out and held Gin’s arm. “We have to stop him, seal off this dimension and make sure he can’t find a way out.” 

“Now that’s one heck of a thought! I like where you’re going with this old timers!~”

From the dark recesses of their mind, the demon made his entrance, his grin wide and mischievous. “Big magic, big cost, drama all around. Sounds delicious. Count me in!”

Jekyll rolled his eyes and hid his face in his hands. “You always choose the worst times to speak up, you know that?”

“Oh can it Wrinkles, you know you need my help if you want to get out of this one. We’ll figure out a way to get unchained, and after that, we’ll make sure he’s sealed up for good.”

Gingie raised an eyebrow. “Well, this certainly wasn’t how I expected today to go. Why are you so keen on helping us?” 

“You’re still my vessel fellas. It’s in my best interest to make sure you’re kept alive and all that. That lunatic thinks this fella is responsible for everything, and he’s right, Jekyll’s a putz. But he’s really gonna go making that kind of an assumption without all the facts? Not giving me a lick of credit? How criminal. No one chains me up and makes a fool of me. Time for payback. He thinks he’s a martyr, it’s disgusting!” 

Jekyll just stared at him blankly. Then he looked to Gingie. Neither of them knew what to think of this. But at this point, they could use all the help they could get.

But before either one could respond, they heard a thump on the door.

“He can’t be back already! No, please no!” 

The doorknob jiggled. Slowly, agonizingly slowly. It creaked, and quietly, like the pitter-patter of a mouse in the pantry, something small trudged in. But how? Wasn’t it locked? Cinnamon looked at the ground and saw a blackened sludge pulling itself along. 

“HeNrY? A-ArE yoU in hErE? ThE oTHeRs arE woRriEd, wE neEd yOuR heLp.” The voice it had was so small, so scared. A young woman no doubt, couldn’t be older than twenty. She had a pageboy cap upon her brow, but that was the most human thing about her. The rest was a melting torso dragging along in a moving puddle, two drippy arms struggling to pull her along. She had no face, just a mouth and deep eye sockets, filled with a cold blue light, strange though, that she didn’t seem to notice him immediately. Could she see? Cinnamon remembered creatures like this, from more than one studio, but he didn’t know how they worked. What were they called again?

“H-hello?”

The creature jumped, startled and tumbling backwards. “GaH! W-wHo aRe yOu?!” She skittered backwards, looking frightfully upon the multi-eyed man. He was so big, so very big in comparison to her. So big and so...so alive. So fleshy and untainted, not a stain graced him in any way. “Who…are you? I’Ve nEvEr seen you in HeRe.” She was quick to try and get closer, but still cautious. “This is Joey’s office...bUt yoU’rE not Mr. Drew, hE’s noT CaPabLe of ChaNginG his Shape. Are you...aRe you hiS viCtim too?”

Cinnamon looked upon the pitiful ink blot with sadness in his eyes. Victim? An accurate term, but to think she was another...just what was Giuseppe doing to these people? She asked who they were, but he wanted to know, who was she? What did she do to deserve that-that hideous punishment? He could only assume it was punishment, what else would it be. 

“M-my name, my dear, is Cinnamon. Who might you be?”

“B-BeLLa...BeLLa EwE.” Her eyes looked as though they would water and tear up any second. “We’re lucky we still remember. Why does he have you LoCKed up? YoU can’T PoSSibLy dEserve this.” She dragged herself over to his chains and started to pull. 

He looked at her in confusion. “What are you trying to do?” 

“MeLt it. It’S no DifFereNt thAn i Am. IF i CaN jUSt diG DeEper…” She grunted and yanked harder. Soon enough, the chain holding his right ankle started to give, going from yellow to black. She grabbed the other and pulled on it until the same occurred. Soon enough it was flexible enough to yank off, melting and falling into her puddle. She dove underneath it and disappeared. 

Cinnamon couldn’t quite comprehend what had just happened, but then he felt a tug from above. He looked up and saw two defined hands pulling at the chains that held his wrists. He was quick to land after that. He dusted himself off and stood to his full height, well, almost. His head hit the ceiling, so he had to crouch a little, which wasn’t great on his back. 

A pool of midnight bubbled up from the floor. From it the torso formed once again, claiming the hat that had been discarded on the floor, but this time, it lifted itself out of the ink. It was much more slender than before, all bones assuming it had any, practically anorexic. But hey, at least she had legs now, what a perk! She looked at him and gave a curtsy. An apron formed itself to keep her covered, bobbing up to the surface, adding definition to an otherwise simple frame. She smiled, reaching a hand towards him. 

He looked at her, unsure of whether or not he should take it. But in the end, he did, he grasped her hand tightly. “Thank you, Miss Ewe. You have no idea how much you just helped us.” 

She chuckled, quite the distorted sound, but still somehow pretty in its corrupted state. “My pleasure, Mister Cinnamon.” She gave a quick look around before glancing back to him. “We need to get you out of here. Mr. Drew woN’T be hAppY thAt I mEddLed agAin, wE neeD yOu in thE ViLLagE, he Can’T huRt yOu theRe.” She tugged his arm gently towards the door. 

“The village?” He questioned. For someone so small, she managed to pull him along just fine. 

“The Lost Ones’ viLLaGe. Sammy is ThEre. Mr. Drew doEsn’T dAre go nEar him. I thiNk he’S scArEd of uS nOw.” She smirked and led him through the door. “I’ll exPLain eVerythinG aLong the way.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for your patience on this chapter! I know it took a long time to get here, but I hope the wait was worth it. This was a fun chapter to write with all of its inner dialogue, I enjoyed exploring these characters. And now you'll see it start to connect with my primary fic a little more, Searching the Depths: The Heart of the Studio. Here's hoping you enjoy that story along with this one! I LOVE hearing from you guys, so please let me know what you think in the comments! I'd be delighted to know how you felt on this rollercoaster ride!


	3. Lessons Learned

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cinnamon and the Lost One known as Bella get to know each other a little better while wandering the hallways of Joey Drew Studios. In their trek to make it into the Lost Ones' Village, they encounter a common threat, and in neutralizing it, might find themselves with new allies, or enemies. It's hard to say. One thing is for sure: Cinnamon's ears are open to the ink, and what's heard will change everything.

#  **Chapter 3: Lessons Learned**

Standing in the office of Joey Drew left Cinnamon in awe. How much it was like their own offices, and yet, how horribly uncomfortable it felt. Where the heck was the chair, why wasn’t it at the desk? Why was it so...malicious, yet so empty? 

The inky girl dragged him further through the studio, through a labyrinth that seemed unending. “You arEn’T frOm thiS reaLm. You’Re renDered in fuLL coLor. So...you’Re LikE me, or well...HoW i uSed to be.” She seemed uncomfortable at that thought. 

“So you were human once.” Cinnamon stated simply. 

“Yes...are you human though? I’ve neVer sEeN onE so TaLL, or wiTh a thiRd eye” She chuckled. “You mUst be MagiCaL then. Or psychic at least. Can yOu sEe the fuTure?” 

"I'm afraid not my dear. Magical, most certainly, but the future's best kept hidden from mortal eyes." Cinnamon took a look around at the rotting building, trying to forget about what graced his forehead. It looked like paper everywhere he turned, as though the entire world were a cartoon. "So you say that was, ehrm, Mr. Drew's office. Does he own...all of this?"

She nodded. "That's right. He made this place, modellEd aFter his OLd cArtoOn studio. I used to watCh his fLicks as a kid, Bendy was mY favoRite." She sighed. "'Course, i shouldn't cALL theM hiS carTooNs, he never GaVe peopLe the credit they DeserVed. Henry was the lifebLood of tHis pLacE, or so wE aLL beLieve. I need to get him to the MACHINE, then evEryThinG wiLL be fixed." 

Cinnamon felt a pang in his heart. Henry, what a wonderful person. In some ways, a son, in others, a brother. There was love on both halves, as well as grief. Remembering all the terrible things they'd done, remembering all that had sent their loved ones away, made them suffer and squirm. Oh misters Henry Drew...why did so many dimensions fall prey to keeping them apart, to ruthlessly having them hurt each other? Cinnamon knew many things, but this was not one he had an answer for. He wondered, what was this Henry like? A relative, a business partner, so many possibilities, and all of them made for a wonderful man. 

But then that dreaded word rang out, as clear as day. Mr. Cinnamon, and any other Mr. Drew, knew how heavy the topic of a machine could be. Jekyll was frozen in guilt, he knew not what to say. Gingie...he was almost the same. But both needed answers, so both must persist. They had to be sure it was the same story here. 

"Miss Ewe...what is the machine?"

She was quiet for a moment, pausing in the hall. She looked to the left, then right, then continued. As though she were afraid of being caught. "Man, you'Re LuCky you doN't knOw the MACHINE, 'eLse you'd fEaR it. The InK MACHINE, it's what keEps thiS worLd aLive. We're noT in reaLity here, it's all a little cOve, a poCkEt if you wiLL. Like if yOu reaD a good book and were LiviNg in that bOok. But this one isn't a good read, it's saD." She grit her lack of teeth, angered by the prospect. "Mr. Drew trapped all of his FoRmer stAff down herE. His MusiC team, the AnimaTorS, the ParK buiLders, voiCe aCtOrs...and LastLy...the janitor."

"The janitor? That seems like an odd choice."

"One might argue that Wally Franks is responsible for this whole mess. But I've learned otherwise, i KnoW the TruTh." She shook her head. "EithEr waY, i nEed to gEt Henry to The MACHINE, if he gEts thEre, he cAn tuRn it oFf and fix this. Our woRLd will cEasE to be...evEryonE wiLL be frEe. Even if it mEans deAth." She sniffled. "B-beTter thAn rotTing awAy in iNk at least."

"Death? You... you'll die if it's turned off?"

She smiled sadly and shook her head. "I'm already dead Mr. Cinnamon. WhAt eLse hAve I goT to LoSe? This PLace hAs kEpt pEopLe frOm reALity for twenty years, eVeryoNe haS died thAt doEsn'T LooK LikE you. It's best we paSs on. I'll miss them all terribly, but iF theY're free, then Joey can't ConTrol them anymore. They can go whEreVer the Gates are open for them...and be haPpy. Not liKe we couLd retuRn to reaLity. Bertrum said it best, what place is there in the world for those that were lost?"

"Bertie, always the sourpuss wasn't he." Cinnamon smirked, but his eyelids drooped. "I can't believe this. You seem so young, and yet your hope only lies in death? My darling, you deserve better. There must be another way, you're just...too young. Far too young for this to be your only future."

Bella paused and looked at him in confusion. "Wait...Bertie? You...you know Bertrum? But how?" 

Cinnamon paled. "W-well…"

"Great, now what are we gonna do?"

_ "Erase her memory?" _

"Could you not!"

"Gentlemen, m-maybe we should just be honest?"

"Gin that's crazy, if we go spilling about the multiverse, there will be consequences!"

"But she doesn't seem like she'll hurt us, she can’t get out of here either…"

Jekyll groaned. "Ugh...Ginger you're going to be the death of me. But I suppose it's better than lying, especially if we end up anywhere near him."

Gingie clapped his hands happily in their headspace. "Jolly good then!"

In real-time Cinnamon had paused for a moment before giving a slight cough. "Well, my dear...what if I were to tell you that this isn't the only world to exist?" 

"...I knew it. He made moRe DimEnsions didn't he, prisons to separate our flock! Who is he HoLding hosTage, who do I have to FigH-"

"Whoa whoa, easy there!" He holds her shoulders firmly, trying to ignore the unpleasant texture that squished in his hands. "No, not like that my dear. Not at all! I mean other worlds like the one you're from, not a fictional place like this." He took a breath. "There's a scientific theory, that for every action we take, there's another world that exists where the other choice was picked instead, thousands of universes based around decisions. Do you believe it to be true?"

She cut her fuming for a moment and nodded meekly. "After living here for so long, I'd believe just about AnyThinG."

"Then what if I were to tell you that there exists a plethora of dimensions where the story goes differently?"

"You mean... there's a WoRLd OuT there where my friends...didn't suffer?"

"Many my dear, countless. There are ones where they live and flourish. And we've borne witness to them! But there are also...many that never get a happy ending."

"What are you doing?"

_ "You can't sugarcoat it. That does no one any good.” _

_ " _ But- _ " _

_ "Silence. My turn to speak." _

"So very many worlds, somewhere things are arguably worse..._ manipulated, torn apart. Worlds where good people had to suffer because of one vile man. And the cycle repeats as such. A nasty, vile tragedy, isn't it?" _ Cinnamon turned away, but Bella could see a slight opening on his third eyelid. He sounded strange, like there was a different side of him talking. " _ But that's what you get when you deal with demons. There is always a price to pay." _

"Ain't that the truth...but if So ManY worLds are hurting, then...mAybE There's a WaY to hEaL them. Does this mean...does this mEaN I failed?"

Cinnamon raised an eyebrow. "I beg your pardon?"

"If other worlds are suffering, does this mean I failed to help them HeaL there too? Or...is my role really so insignificant that... I don't exist there. You know Bertrum, but I seem..new to you. Assuming you’re from another studio of course."

"I'd hardly call someone who rescued me insignificant.” He smirked ever so slightly, but it was a friendly face he wore. “I'll confess, I've never come across another with your name, but I can think of others who've helped to heal things." He rubs at his eyes with his shoulder for a moment. "F-frankie...she was like that. Still is like that. A beautiful light…" He struggled to keep his lip from quivering. "And my sunshine...Mary Jane...and Ivy and, and…" He grew silent, unsure of himself. 

"_ Breaking down in front of a total stranger? Weak. Just like you always have been." _

"Leave him alone!"

Bella took his hand and squeezed it. "Sounds like Eliza to me...and Faye, a-and our family." She smiled softly. "Perhaps I'm too close-minded about things. LiVinG with Mr. Drew hAs maDe me AwfuLLy coLd. I'm gLad I endEd up hEre. InK is freeziNg, but heRe, I reMemBereD warMth. You seem to have a LoT of WaRmTh, loVing all thoSe peoPLe." She took one of his hands in both of her own. "Sounds liKe you hAve a grEat hOme to go BacK to. We'll do ouR best to gEt you theRe. Okay?"

Cinnamon nodded and rubbed at his eyes. "You've got a good heart, Bella. My poor girls, I need to know that they're alright." But then he paused. Something clicked that hadn't before. "Wait, you lived with Mister Drew? Goodness, why?"

Bella let go and turned away at that, moving forward quickly. Her pace was slow, but her heart raced. "Well... it's a long story. He knocked me off a ladder, cost me my job, and then...took me in." She chuckled at the thought. "I'm his apprentice, or at least I was before all of this happened. I don't think he intended to send Eliza and me down here. He's bEeN traiNing me to DrAw, for monThs now, to fiNish the Last CartoOn, a memorial to Bendy he cALLed it."

"You! You're the one he was looking for!" It hit Cinnamon like a brick to the face. "You're the one he's so scared of losing, it all makes sense now! You and this Eliza must hold the answer to fixing things."

“Oh, I dOuBt that.” She laughed. Why did she laugh? “Maybe ELizA is, but that makes seNse. SHe’s Henry’s dAughTer. Me? I’m a nobody. ALL I caN do is pLay mY paRt and HoPe it brinGs somEthiNg gooD to evEryonE herE.” 

“You’re sure about that?” 

“Completely sure.” 

“Alright then. Soooo,” Cinnamon continued. He wasn’t done with the topic, but the gentleman that he was, perhaps it was best to move on. He’d think about that daughter bit later too. “This village you spoke of, are there people like you there?”

She nodded and kept moving forward, never looking back but always gesturing. “The Lost OnEs and SeaRcherS live thEre. And thE pRopHet, Mr. Lawrence. Sammy’s been HeLping us PLan an aTtaCk, witH some effort, we’LL shUt thiS wHoLe thing down. JuSt hAvE to bReak thE LoOp LoNg enoUgh to mAke it woRk.”

“The Loop you say?” Cinnamon struggled not to grimace at the mention of Sammy. One side could say their relationship was alright, albeit a bit misguided, but the other? Oh boy, was that a headache. Many memories returned of how much they butted heads.

Bella seems saddened by the mention of the loop, but it’s hard to read on such a blank face. “LonG befOre I came herE, thE worLd rAn on a scRipt thaT Joey wrOte, thE saMe sTorY over and over. Sometimes the inHabiTants caN break the HoLd loNg enough to haVe some thougHts of theiR own, but thEre are StoRy BeaTs wE can’T esCapE. BecausE sOmE of uS don’T BeLong hEre, we’Ve disruPted it. And in DoiNg so, wE have chanCes to reWriTe the EnDing. Or ratHer, oNe ChAnce. ThE LoOp hasN’t fuLLy inTegrAted uS intO its hOLd. iF I can just kEeP it thAt way a little longer…” She clenched her fist. 

“Then...you’ll be released. You’re more important than you let yourself believe.” 

“I’d hardly say that.” She sighed. “I’M juSt another PawN in his liTtLe game.”

“Do you really believe that?” Cinnamon inquired. 

“Henry is the only thing worth believing in. We don’t have any PoWer without him.” 

“Surely the fate of this case can’t rest on one person.” Cinnamon glared at the ceiling. “Just like that awful Giuseppe can’t keep this place so dour forever. Trapping souls, what an amateur, lackluster plan.”

Bella looked at him questioningly. “You say that like you’ve done better.” 

“Hardly.” There was a twinkle in his eyes. “But I can guarantee, I’d be a far better Joey Drew than him.” 

“I’d almost RaTheR you weRe ouRs.” She chuckled. “YOu soUnD liKe an ExceLLent boSS, people would love you.”

Cinnamon felt another pang of guilt at that. Goodness, this little adventure was hitting all the sensitive spots, wasn’t it? “I wish that were true...but I don’t think there’s anyone in this role that hasn’t made grave mistakes.” 

“Wait, so then, aRe YoU-”

“Yes. Two, actually…”

Bella blinked in disbelief. Cinnamon did the same, surprised a creature with no eyelids could blink. Who would’ve thought? But for a few moments, they just stared at each other, dumbfounded. She was so tempted to ask what that meant, to be two Drews at the same time, how could that be? The words bubbled up in her throat, and she almost set them free.

That is, until the hissing came from around the corner.

“Oh No, STriKer!” She whispered tensely. “We have to go.” 

Latching onto the giant’s arm, she ran around the corner, praying she still remembered the way out, muttered jibberish spilling under her breath. Cinnamon was confused, until he saw it trailing behind them. 

Of course the girl would be scared of that creature, it was terrifying! Tailing them swiftly was an obnoxious beast that was mangled beyond repair. It had three arms, the third reinforced with scaffolding to support a nasty hook that looked like it could knock out the strongest of boxers. It’s mouth was sewn shut, but another one with rotting, grotesque teeth had formed on the top of its head. And its eyes, one was a ball that was widened with veins, like he’d been caffeinated a little too well, but the other was a pie cut oval. 

A cartoon eye. There was only one character that could be.

“Edgar?!” 

The beast paused at the name, curious, confused. But curiosity was quick to give way to anger. It pounced at them and knocked Cinnamon over, causing him to land on Bella in a heap. His poor suit was horribly stained now, and Bella was incredibly squished, but they had worse problems to worry about. He was quick to get up and throw the girl over his shoulder, backing away from the monster. 

“What is it you want?” He asked calmly.

The beast only trudged forward, grumbling and sneering. Before either one knew it, they were backed into a corner, and ‘Edgar’ looked ready to pounce. Cinnamon fell against the wall, but Bella slipped from his grip and dove right into it. He was tense, but this put him at ease, she was probably safer there than anywhere else. With that, his gaze narrowed in determination. This was no good, letting such a rude little fellow run loose. He summoned for himself his cane, and with a flourish of his frilly arms and a spark of light, he imprisoned the inky spider in a bubble. The striker smashed itself against the walls of its prison, thrashing to try and break loose, until his efforts proved too futile to continue. Both his sets of lips quivered, and he began to cry. There was a sense of realization that flooded the abomination’s eyes, the elder could clearly see it. He almost felt bad for the creature. 

“I’m sorry. I don’t want to hurt anyone dear, but I can’t let you go around hunting myself or Miss Ewe either. Please, no chasing?” He felt awkward saying it, this was not a scenario he expected himself to be in. Jekyll had let Gin do the talking to an extent, he knew fully well that he couldn’t be trusted. Hyde had done too much wrong, he was far too familiar with these creatures, and it pained him to see this one again. All he could feel was regret. 

A moment later, Bella popped up from a nearby puddle. She gasped for air and dragged herself out, now noticeably thinner than before. How was that even possible? Ah yes, the ink splattered on his shirt, that was pretty substantial. She looked at the striker sadly and knelt beside the bubble. Cinnamon looked upon her with curiosity as she watched the creature.

“I’m sorry. If I could find your anchor I’d try to make it better.” She whispered. “But I can’t, it’s so deep, t-too deep. You don’t deserve this. N-nOne of YoU do.” She glanced at Cinnamon.

“This...is hard for you. Isn’t it?”

“Looks like it’s hard for you too.” 

She stood up and walked over. “It’s not far from here sir, just up through the drop and we’ll be there. Though, I’m not sure how we’ll get you up there. I can go through the walls, but you...you’re pretTy corporeaL.” 

Cinnamon stroked his chin thoughtfully. He could probably manage just fine, no wall would be a problem for him. But this creature, the spider, she said she couldn’t find his anchor? What was an anchor? It would be best if this little one didn’t follow when they left, so perhaps it was best he do something to persuade it otherwise. After all, while meddling wasn’t good to do, healing this place would keep Giuseppe occupied, giving him more time to seal off the world. It wouldn’t hurt to try, would it? 

He looked at her. “What did you mean by anchor?”

“H-hUhn? WhAt aRe you-”

“You said his anchor was too deep, but what does that mean?”

“W-WeLL, a-an anchor is what kEepS the SoULs coNnecTed. WithOut it, our bodiEs arE jUst ink, no Life attaChed. But it’s MorE thaN that.” She gestures to the striker’s chest. “Part of the DeaL is that Drew triEd to mErgE a bunCh of uS witH the CharActers. Fragments of THem arE in theRe too, messily SmAshEd and fLoatinG in oUr heAds, confused. ALL the StrikErs havE piEces of Edgar, buT no oNe is juSt him. ThoUgh the mOre that get OfFed…” She shudders, “The mOrE piEces go Back to thE rEaL onE.” 

“Hmm. So what do you do to find it?” 

“I’m a little different from the others...I don’t know why, but when I go BeNeaTh the ink, I can see their faces, who they ReaLLy were beForE they goT riPped apart. If I touCh them, I can hEaL them, buT the DeePer you go in the ink, the Louder the ScReamiNg gets. HundreDs, ThouSands of VoiCes with nO Form, cryiNg to be sEt fRee. I-It coNSumEs yOu, doesn’T Let yOu LeavE. I’ll get too lost to ever come BacK.” 

Cinnamon thought about that for a moment. “What if you had a tether to pull you back up? Would that help?” 

“No onE haS evEr triEd thAt before. ThEn agAin, I don’T thinK any of Us knOw how to LatCh onto a Soul.” She stroked her chin. “It’d be worth a shot, but how does one do something liKe thaT?”

Cinnamon’s twinkly eyes practically lit up at the inquiry. He almost fumbled when adjusting his monocle, and the little bow he gave lead Bella to believe he was the type to tip his hat, should he wear one. He held his cane with his arms spread wide, theatrical in all his presentation. 

“My darling, when your last name is Drew, the sky’s the limit! I’m sure we can whip something up that’s suitable.” He took her hand and twirled her into the crook of his arm. 

“EeP!” 

“Sorry, sorry, I get a bit carried away.” He said with a chuckle. The man carefully hugged her, his touch ever gentle. She was such a fragile thing after all, just like-no, they couldn’t be thinking about that right now. Focus, they needed to focus. 

Kneeling down, he came face to face with the Lost One and looked into her eyes, his hands firmly on her shoulders. How blue they were, as blue as the saddest sea, like an angler fish’s light in the depths of the unknown. “You’ll be safe, I promise. We’ll keep you tied up here, so that you can find your way back up.” 

As he spoke, soft tendrils of a strawberry light made their way to the girl’s chest, right where her heart should be, where she should’ve had one beating. There was a pinch for a moment as it squeezed, but it wasn’t unpleasant. No, it was more like...an embrace, from someone you love. Like a firm hand latching onto your own before braving something new. It felt secure, and cozy, like an oven warming the kitchen when your grandparents made cookies on a rainy day. It felt...like home. 

_ Dad, she thought, it feels like Dad. Bless you my Lord, for giving me a taste of him again in this cruel realm, for letting this stranger be a friend. I promise, I won’t disappoint you. _

There was a soft glow of pink around her collarbone, and with it formed a red string, tying itself in a neat little ribbon to Cinnamon’s bowtie. She knew in her heart that she would be alright. He’d proven himself to be a formidable force, his words would ring true and he’d catch her if she fell from grace.

Either that, or she was just a fool to believe in any man named Drew. 

“I’ll be back soon, hang tight.” And with that, she slipped under the surface, the string extending to keep her at an arm’s length. 

Cinnamon sat on the ground and crossed his legs, looking to the spider before closing his eyes. “I’m sorry this happened to all of you,” he said, “Were any Joey a better man, perhaps such suffering would not have occurred.” He sighed before holding a hand over his hearts. “It’s a shame, just a shame...there must be some hope for this realm, for righting what’s wronged it. We can start with-”

He stopped short, his eyes opened wide. Why? 

There was a tug on the string, a feeling of being watched. A feeling as though someone-or something-was looking right through him.

_ “Y-you really are more than one.” _

Her voice, how could he hear it? He blinked, only to grow more alarmed. With just a mere second of his lids covering irises, he could see something that wasn’t there before. He closed his eyes again, quickly, afraid he’d miss it. 

And there she was. An outline of a person, the apprentice, standing in front of him. A young lady with freckles kissing her cheeks, still so short in stature, shorter than Gin for certain. Soft bangs and a bob bordered her face beneath the brim of the worn cap, two chocolate eyes staring back at him with hope. She had a lovely smile too. Two hands clad in working gloves reached out to hold his, and that’s when he realized it wasn’t his hands she was reaching for. 

You see, one must search the depths to find the true essence of those around them. And Bella, while a strange choice, was graced with seeing beautiful things in people. Cinnamon, while not tied to the ink as the rest were, was still magical in his own right, and therefore had a shadow cast beneath the surface, as such a strong light often does. It carried four figures. There was him, there was a demon, and then the two gentlemen that chose to put him together. Gingie and Jekyll were taken aback, she could see them, they could see her.

And there was so much more to see around them! Thousands of glittering lights, all drawn to them, filling the darkness. 

“Welcome to the Depths.” She said, and she curtsied to him before looking down. They merely floated above an endless void, as though suspended in liquid. “Seems you can see in here too, and from the surface no less! You must be special.” She chuckled. “It’s nice...to see the real you, in all your facets.”

And with that, she dove deeper down. Cinnamon could only watch as she swam through the depths of the ink, the string keeping them connected so she wouldn’t get lost. But even from so high up, he could hear whispers. Who were they from? Countless souls no doubt. So many broken hearts, all in need of healing. But there was no screaming here, oh no. There was giggling, gossip, and the delightful humming of a merry little tune. 

_ “At times it seemed, _

_ if I just dreamed, _

_ I’d not be by myself.~ _

_ I never gave up _

_ Hoping, _

_ That you would come along.~” _

The voices of the ink tagged along with each other, sometimes talking over one another, sometimes repeating themselves, but all were light and airy, just as floaty as everything else. So many voices. Men, women, some indistinguishable, some old, some young, some melancholy, some joyful. A whole plethora of emotions. Cinnamon felt something familiar in it all. The idea of fusion, the idea of being together as one. Was the voice of the ink, made up of thousands of voices, no different than he, in sharing such thoughts all over? Was it not just a scrambled hive mind, or was it more than that?

“We know that one…” Gingie sniffled and rubbed at his eyes. “She always sang it so beautifully.” 

“She did, didn’t she?” Jekyll sighed as he looked around. “Is this what my employees saw? Is this what-”

“Jekyll.” Gingie grasped his hand and squeezed it. So many thoughts flooded their mind. So many thoughts. “We need to get home...so we can tell them how much we love them.” 

_ “Ah love. _

_ What a wonderful emotion! _

_ We haven’t seen it in forever. _

_ Most folks have it beaten out of them here! _

_ Well Belle’s still got it. _

_ ‘Course she does, why else would the ink want her? _

_ It wanted Henry for that too! _

_ Wanted all of us for it! _

_ Well we were good at our jobs, we loved making cartoons. _

_ ‘Til he started pinching us. _

_ Royal shame isn't it?" _

"You poor souls." Gingie shook his head. "It simply won't do."

"What was the point in dragging you all into this?" Jekyll asked.

_ "Oh, so the magic man speaks to us? _

_ Clearly, how terribly funny they are. _

_ Especially for one that reeks of lies. _

_ Now Gerald, be nice, they're just lost. _

_ We're all lost! _

_ Mistah Drew is a vengeful fella, _

_ He thinks we all abandoned him, _

_ But it's him who abandoned us! _

_ Reckless spending! _

_ Poor Grant… _

_ He drove us to our graves, _

_ Never paid on time, _

_ We had to get out. _

_ We never stopped drowning! _

_ It hurts, it hurts so much! _

_ I want to go home! _

_ But this is home...there isn't any home. _

_ Not anymore… _

_ All we have is each other, suffering in the abyss. _

_ Joey's fault, all Joey's fault!" _

"Alright, we get the point, geez!" The demon muttered. "How insufferable."

"Have mercy on them, they never asked for this." Jekyll squeezed Gin's hand tighter. "We're sorry. I'm...I'm so sorry." He felt a tear racing down his cheek. These sins weren't his, and yet…

"Why is it we feel responsible for something we didn't cause?" Gingie asked. His eyelids drooped over those honey orbs, his light very dim in the solace.

"Because this could have been us...this has been reality, for some of the others. In some ways, it's our story too." 

"But that's never hit us so hard before."

"Maybe this one hits closer to home…"

"It...it does. No Joey has ever kidnapped us before." Gingie chuckled, but it sounded forced. Trying to lighten the mood was difficult. 

_ "Aw, you poor dears! _

_ We empathize, such struggles have been felt often here. _

_ It's so nice to see such love in your hearts. _

_ You sound beautiful, _

_ So human. _

_ Wish we could truly see you _

_ The way that she sees us… _

_ So Joey kidnapped grown men? _

_ God, and we thought what he did before was bad. _

_ Most of us got lured to his house. _

_ Pulled our strings with promises of coffee visits. _

_ Why did we ever accept? _

_ He always drowns us. _

_ You sound much nicer. _

_ Do you like coffee? _

_ Pfft, why ask that? _

_ Soup is all the rage these days. _

_ We've got a buddy who can't get enough." _

Now Gin could actually laugh. How funny they were, with the things that concerned them. "You're all very sweet. Thank you." He turned to Jekyll. "We're fortunate, we're still ourselves, and the people here, while something is missing, are still people. Giuseppe can't take that away from them."

_ "Oh he's tried _

_ Sometimes it was successful too. _

_ We can't remember who we are _

_ But we remember the pieces that made us smile. _

_ Barb always brought in great cookies for Valentine's Day… _

_ Norman has such a silly sense of humor, _

_ But he had the greatest villain laugh! _

_ Shoulda put him in the booth. _

_ Dottie was the most curious gal in Writing. _

_ Oh oh! Remember when Sammy got us all good on April Fool's Day? _

_ He made us think his head had a bow piercing it. _

_ Weirdo! _

_ Oh come on, that was hysterical! _

_ I miss when he was fun. _

_ Yeah, before that pipe install, he was a joy to work with. _

_ Best violin teacher I ever had. _

_ Made us sound like angels. _

_ I miss him… _

_ I miss Susie. _

_ I miss Bertrum! _

_ Who the hell misses Bertrum? _

_ Yeah, he was a hardass! _

_ He was the only one of you who would eat my cookies! _

_ Your cookies had raisins, nobody likes raisins! _

_ That's not true, Bertrum likes raisins! _

_ He was an old fart! _

_ We're ALL old farts!" _

"No kidding!" The demon covered his ears, well, hypothetical ears? Demon anatomy is quite confusing. "The hell, you sound like a coffee clutch. I thought this was supposed to be a void of screaming souls, but you're just a bunch of gossiping old people!"

_ "Well sorry Bendy, _

_ We absolutely were up until a few loops ago. _

_ But you get tired of screaming and being hopeless. _

_ Yeah! _

_ So we started picking up the pieces. _

_ At least on this level, _

_ The ones down deeper aren’t so lucky. _

_ If we're stuck here for eternity, _

_ May as well try to make it better. _

_ Johnny got us started, _

_ But a little bell kept us going. _

_ She got drowned most recently, _

_ Needed comfort, so badly. _

_ But she didn't get it, _

_ And yet she still gave it. _

_ Gave us a reason to start caring, _

_ Gave us a reason to try and break free. _

_ We're so close. _

_ Things are splitting at the seams! _

_ Just a little more and it'll all collapse, _

_ Joey will be forced to let go!" _

The demon tried to shrug off the fact that they'd mistaken him for another. Though all three couldn't help but wonder why anyone would be so casual with a monster. Something to ponder on later. For now, they were still waiting for Bella, she was taking a while. That gave them an opportunity.

"If you don't mind us asking," Gingie began.

"Why is it that Drew is after her?"

_ "Good question! _

_ We have no idea! _

_ She's not exactly one of us, _

_ Even though she's still included. _

_ Like, not a former employee, _

_ But still matters? _

_ It's strange! _

_ We know she's helping the prophet though. _

_ They're forming a rebellion, _

_ So we can break the story! _

_ She's like a nurse back in the war days. _

_ Crazy right?" _

"A healer," the men said in unison. The realization hit them.

"Does this mean she's capable of undoing the damage done here?" Jekyll asked

"I wonder!" Gingie replied. He was horribly excited. “Maybe what she needs is a little more faith in herself. To believe-”

“Are you seriously going to monologue about belief? Now? Gingie honestly, I can’t take you anywhere.”

“But Jekyll, belief is so important. If you don’t believe in your dreams, or in yourself, how do you accomplish anything?”

_ “He’s right. _

_ God, you sound like Joey. _

_ Always rambling about beliefs _

_ And dreams! Don’t forget dreams. _

_ ‘Dreaming Dreaming Dreaming,’ _

_ Ugh, to think we ate that up. _

_ Well it wasn’t wrong, _

_ I mean look at him, he achieved his dreams. _

_ Well his dream sucks! _

_ Now, there is no need for fighting. _

_ He kept us from making quality work for decades, _

_ We’re allowed to get upset. _

_ Kept us from having dreams of our own… _

_ Well now we have a new dream, don’t we? _

_ Yeah, dream to get out. _

_ We can’t ever go home, but at least we won’t be stuck here. _

_ I’ll miss you, _

_ I’ll miss you too. _

_ At least we won’t be stuck together. _

_ We’ll be ourselves. _

_ That’s all we want. _

_ To be free.” _

“A reasonable dream to have indeed.” Jekyll averted his eyes from the demon. He could feel drumming in his ears. “Wait, what is that?”

Gingie cupped his ear and listened, unsure of what he was hearing. 

Thu-thump. Thu-thump. Da-dump. Ba-bump. Ba-Bump. Thu-thump. Thu-thump.

“It sounds like...a heartbeat?”

“Was she successful then?”

_ “OH NO!” _

_ “Hurry hurry! _

_ You MUST get away! _

_ He’s coming, he's coming! _

_ DOn’t LeT him TOUCH yoU! _

** _DON’T LET HIM TOUCH YOU!”_ **

“What are you panicking over?”

“What’s wrong?”

** _“LOOK OUT!”_ **

The roar of a mighty beast pierced the noise. Everything was silent, save for the heart beat and the screeching.

The screeching of the Ink Demon. 

But underneath the surface, all they could see were two glaring piecut eyes, glowing golden in the darkness. 

“You ain’t welcome here Mistah Drew! Time tah put ya where you belong: six feet unda!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was by far my favorite chapter to write. I love characters, I like figuring out who they are, and when you have a cast of complete people as well as fragments, it's a delight. The encounter with the Striker was the turning point, it made me realize that I need about five chapters total to tell the story I want to tell, so hopefully, you can expect one to two more updates to see it through. I had a lot of fun playing with the sequences underneath the ink, both with the voices and with Cinnamon's internal dialogue. The demon was especially fun, I didn't realize how sassy he was until it came out, and oh my god, I don't care if the world hates Hyde, I love him and he can have all of my cookies. Playing with the duality of him, Jekyll, and Gingie really came through in this chapter, and they are such a delight to write. Just some beautiful, soft old men, thrust into a situation they never asked for, it's lovely~. A big thank you to Tak and Star for reviewing these chapters before my official posting, I really appreciate all the kind and constructive words you've had to offer! It's been such a joy sharing this. And as usual, I love hearing what you guys have to say, so please, don't be afraid to leave a comment! I don't know what you enjoyed and how to make more of it without your input! ^^ Thanks so much for reading, we'll see you in the next chapter!


	4. Mister Bad Guy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cinnamon comes face to face with the ink demon, while Belphene is off playing babysitter. But it's not long before a new player enters the labyrinth of JDS to help set things right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warnings:   
-Characters put into peril that could possibly lead to their deaths  
-Swearing/Foul Language  
-Brief mentions of death?
> 
> As usual, if there's anything you think I should add here, please tell me!

The glowing eyes rushed at the fusion, and suddenly they felt a sharp jab to the face. They couldn’t see him, it was like he was invisible! The punch was enough to send him tumbling backwards, and of course, forced him to open his eyes.

And on the surface, there was a familiar face neither Drew was happy to see: it was the monster. The horrible, corrupted ink demon, complete with his stump of a leg and mismatched hands, ink raining over his eyes. Most would’ve suspected he was blind, but Cinnamon could feel the demon staring right through them. He was vulnerable, exposed. 

The demon hissed and lunged at them again, only for Cinnamon to roll away and dodge. He scrambled back to his feet, grabbing his cane and the bubble that imprisoned Edgar while taking the defense. “What do you want with me?!” He asked. For once, he seemed frightened.

The demon only snarled in response, lurking forward, slowly, menacingly. Something felt wrong, his mouth didn’t move, but it felt like he had something to say. Cinnamon was quick to catch on: he couldn’t hear him with his eyes open, he needed to see underneath! So Jekyll took half of their face and closed an eye, trying to understand what he was saying. 

“You had the nerve to come out into the open, to meddle with us toons, and now you dare deceive my subjects even further? Despicable! Why are you here, why did he bring you here? What lies did he tell you, what did you do to my friend! Answer me!” 

“I don’t know who you’re talking about, we haven’t messed with anyone! We don’t know what he wants-” Jekyll protested.

“LIAR! You do know, you know exactly why you’re here! Tell me, what’s he up to? He’s amassing an army of Joeys, isn’t he! He can’t handle us on his own and fell back on the one person he can trust: himself. I ain’t wrong, I know I ain’t! Well, his plan ain’t gonna work, I’m not letting you leave here alive!” The demon lunged again, but Cinnamon was quick to leap away.

“Stop it! We have someone tethered, we promised we wouldn’t let her fall! Stop jerking us around, please!”

“Just another one of your lies! That’s all Joey ever does, lie lie LIE! I could rip out his vocal cords and STILL, he would lie!”

The demon lunged again, and this time he grabbed them. It burned, oh it burned! Cinnamon screamed, his eyes scrunched closed in agony. Words could not describe how painful that was, more than the chains from before! 

And so it came as a great surprise when the demon let go. Why did he let go?

“No...no. You can’t, y-you can’t be!” The demon stepped backward, every part of his form quivering, ink dripping fast. “You can’t be, that can’t be true! You’re supposed to be evil, t-that shouldn’t have happened!” 

It was then he noticed the tether, how it was flickering now that the man had fallen to the ground. The striker tried to roll his bubble prison closer to check on the man, only to jerk and collapse as well, as though he were forced into a peaceful sleep. 

Then from the depths, there came a scream.

**“Help!”**

_ “Oh dear! _

_ She’s stuck!  _

_ Someone help! _

_ Get her back up, we can’t lose her, not now! _

_ Not now, not now! _

_ Bendy do something!  _

_ Come on devil darling! _

_ Mister Cinnamon, wake up!  _

_ Come on, come on!” _

_ ____ _

Before the battle had begun, Bella dove deep into the abyss of the ink. Deeper and deeper she went, swimming in a sea of darkness. But at the bottom, like a bulb in a projector, there was a light, as gentle and soft as a newborn. The screaming around it was deafening, murky water full of agony. Like a swamp with a whirlpool in its center.

_ “I’m sorry, I’m sorry I’m sorry! I never wanted this, just let me go! Please! I’ll be good from now on, I promise! Barley, Charley, where are you?” _

“Shh, it’s okay, it’s gonna be okay.” Bella took the light in her arms and hugged it close. “I’m here. You don’t have to be alone.” 

The light flared up in brightness as she held it.   
  
_ “W-who are you? Why...why are you here?” _   
  
“I’m Bella. I’m here to help you piece things together.” She smiled softly, holding them closer. “You didn’t ask to be mangled like this, let’s get you back where you belong, okay?” 

_ “B-but how? I don’t remember who I am. I-I’m a spider! But I’m...I’m also not.” _

“You have fragments of Edgar stuck in you, nothing to feel bad about.” She rubbed the light tenderly, like comforting a child. “Joey smashed the toons into pieces, but we can get you back to being you, and Edgar back to being Edgar. I’m sure of it.” 

_ “Y-you’re awful kind miss. But why’d you come down? I ain’t anybody important enough to come lookin’ for.”  _

  
“That’s not true. Everyone is worth caring about, you’re all important to this puzzle somehow. Otherwise, Joey wouldn’t have brought you all here.” 

_ “Well ain’t that a nice thought.” _ The light sounded sarcastic. _ “What’s letting you talk to me? How can you even see me?”  _

“I’m not sure. I’m told I wasn’t supposed to be a part of this story, but I have to be here for a reason, right? So I may as well help.” She smiled. “Tell me about yourself. I wanna know you.” 

_ “O-okay.” _ The light hesitated.  _ “Well, I-I used to work in the storage space, on the Bendyland attractions. Yeah, that sounds right! W-worked in construction. I remember helpin’ build a big ‘ol house, the spooky mansion that was gonna feature the characters poppin’ out to scare ya! Oh that was a hoot.”  _ The light laughed. 

And he went on chatting away for a while. Bella meanwhile had sat down, pulling the sketchbook from her apron pocket and drawing as he talked, asking questions occasionally. By the time they were done, she held up her sketchbook, a completed portrait displayed for the light to see. 

“Is this okay? Is this who you were?” 

_ “By golly it is! That’s me! That’s Federick! That’s me, Ricky Jones!” _

“I remember you!” Bella grinned. “I remember your interview in the paper, when they were talking about Bendyland a few months in!” 

_ “That’s it! You got it toots, that’s absolutely me!”  _

The light bumped into her and nuzzled itself against her cheek. She laughed, holding it close again and spinning around. And as they touched, something marvelous happened. Bella got hugged back, by two very human arms, a little hairy, but strong. A pointed chin rested in her hair, with curly locks bordering it, two gorgeous hazel eyes sparkling with that same light. Ricky squeezed her for a moment before turning to look at his hands, so worn from years of work, but they were marked with pride in all the good he’d done. He laughed, oh that wonderful sound of his hearty laugh as he picked her up and spun her around! 

“Thank you! Thank you, thank you! You’re a peach Miss Bella, I’m back! How can I ever thank you?” 

Bella grinned and laughed right along with him, gripping his large hands within her own. “My pleasure Ricky!” 

She sighed, rubbing at the tears that had started forming in her eyes. She’d never managed to make this work before, not once. She’d helped souls find their way back to remembering, but granting them a shape under the ink? That was new. She’d seen many figures beneath the ink before, she’d pulled Bertrum out of the machine this way, nearly cost her life. But to find an anchor and restore a soul, rip it away from the darkness? This was new, this was exciting! Sammy would be pleased, this meant such good things for their plans! But she feared for what would come next. 

“I’m not sure if there’s anything. But...I’d like you to come to the surface with me.” She looked above them, the darkness looming menacingly overhead. “Sammy’s got a revolution in the works. We could really use your help to heal the others.”    
  
“I wouldn’t say I’m much of a doctor, but I’m willing to give you my best.” Ricky smirked and tipped his hat. “Though I take it I’ll still be stuck as a spider if I go?”    
  
“I can’t say for sure.” Bella tapped her chin. “I’ve never pulled this off before, anything could happen. Only one way to find out. Of course, you don’t have to come up, I’m sure the other voices would find comfort having you here.”

“Nah, may as well try! How else are ya gonna fix the rest of us if you don’t have results?” Ricky gripped her hand and winked. “Come on, let’s head back, aye?”

“Aye.” She giggled and held onto him, kicking to swim back up with his soul. 

That’s when trouble arose. 

You’re probably thinking this is the demon’s fault, aren’t you? Well that’s not entirely true. Yes, Bendy’s rashness does get him into trouble, but there were far bigger fish to worry about. Quite literally! Jerking poor Cinnamon around sent the two souls thrashing about, hanging onto each other for dear life. But what was arguably worse were the monsters lurking at the bottom.

She didn’t know about the monsters. 

“Oh Bella, my darling, you didn’t think it would be that easy, did you?”

“No, not you! Ricky, we’re out of here!” The girl sounded terrified, as though she’d heard the voice of sweet Lucifer himself. She tried desperately to kick her way up, the young man doing his best to aid her, but it was no good! A whirlpool was forming below, and the harder they tried to escape, the more it sucked them in, sending the two spinning about. Bella clung to the construction worker, hiding her face in his chest. 

**“Help!”**

She was horribly frightened, everything was a nightmare that wouldn’t end. Ricky did his best to hold onto her. He fought back valiantly, no trap set by Mister Drew would ensnare him again! They weren’t giving up, they just needed a hand to get out. 

“Guys! I don’t know if you can hear me, but please, send me your strength! Bring me back to your side!” He cried. 

_____

The Ink Demon and the Fusion could hear the screaming, but neither was sure of what to do. 

“Dammit, it was a trick, another dirty trick to distract me wasn’t it?” The demon growled. “I’ll be back, you stay put, I’m not finished with you!” And with that, he threw himself into the wall and disappeared. The shadowy aura faded with him, the heartbeat gone.

The floor was an utter mess with all the ink that had spilled about, and Cinnamon rested in the center of it all. He held his head in pain, still spinning from the earlier chaos. His arm ached, the blackness of the ink crept along it like a virus. But that wasn’t enough to deter him. Cinnamon was stronger than whatever this place had in store for him, that much was clear.    
  


He latched onto his tether, closed his eyes and pulled. There was a light at the bottom of the darkness, struggling as it was battered around.What was going on down there?

“We have to get her out!” Gingie cried from within. 

“We can do it, but we need your help! We’re not losing her down there!” 

**“We’re not losing one ever again.”**

The voices shrieked and howled, but they understood what must be done. 

_ Hang on darling! _

_ We’re coming for you! _

_ Grab them, grab them!  _

_ Shut that devil up, _

_ You can’t have her Joey! _

_ We called dibs! _

_ Hold on hold on! _

So much screaming, so much wailing in the frenzy, it was a chaotic mess! The poor girl covered her ears and cried, holding onto Ricky tightly. 

“I’m sorry… I don’t...I don’t have the strength to make it…” Her eyes closed as she hid her face in his chest, powerless to do anything. 

There was a glow where her heart should be, a gentle, amber glow that latched onto them. 

_ “Aw kid, don’t lose hope. You know we won’t let you fall, not this time.” _

Finally, Cinnamon’s tugging was starting to get somewhere! He pulled and pulled, the tether turned golden as he finally got it to budge. The voices thrusted themselves towards the whirlpool to stop it, forcing it to stay in place just long enough to get them out. 

And with one final tug, they were out!

Bella popped out of the ink and was sent flying as she tumbled out of the depths, landing in a heap on Cinnamon’s chest. She was curled up in a fetal position, holding the glowing light in her arms again, her entire frame trembling. As the old man sat upright, he held her close to his hearts, rubbing her back gently. 

“There there,” he cooed. “It’s okay, you’re safe now, he can’t hurt you.”

She nodded softly and held her light tighter. 

“We promised we wouldn’t let you fall. You’re still here, things will be alright.” Cinnamon tilted her chin up to look at him, a scared but kind smile gracing his lips. “I’ve got you.”   
  
She rubbed at her eye sockets with her arm and chuckled. It was that relieved kind of laughter, the kind you only hear when you know in your heart that things will be okay. And after such a scare, that faith was needed. “Thank you.” She whispered.

“You’re welcome. Glad to see you both in one piece.”

Cinnamon and Bella jerked their heads towards the sound of the voice. Standing a few feet away was the figure of a man. He was translucent with a golden glow throughout his entire frame, with the strongest light at his amber eyes. His hair was a ruffled mess, as were his work shirt and suspenders, and his khakis and dress shoes were drenched in ink. All of his clothes were ripped in various places, and one of his arms was coated in the blackened sludge. But the smile he wore was friendly. Bella jumped up and ran to him. 

“Henry! You’re alright!” She hugged him tightly before punching his arm. “Darn it you crazy old man, what are you doing getting detached from your body again? We can only fix it so much ya know.” She placed a hand on her hip, but she was softer now, almost anxious. “H-how did you find us? How’d you know there was trouble?”   
  
Henry chuckled and ruffled her hair. “As Susie’s often said, ‘just follow the screams.’ It was hard not to notice the entire underground wailing. Bendy grabbed me in a hurry. Though I didn’t have to do much.” He turned to look Cinnamon in the eyes. “I believe you’re the fellow responsible for her rescue.” He smiled softly and bowed his head. “Thank you. We’re all grateful for your service.” 

Now it was Cinnamon’s turn to be dumbstruck. “Hen...Henry…? Henry.” His eyes were about ready to let loose a waterfall. Son, brother, best friend, it didn’t matter. There he WAS! And even if he was nothing like the beautiful souls they knew on the outside, he had everything necessary to be a Henry on the inside. A kind and loving heart, a knack for getting into trouble, worn hands from so many hours spent with his passion, a smile as warm as the sunshine, stars in his eyes, and most importantly of all: hope. Their dearest friend had always been filled with such hope. Gingie grieved. Jekyll mourned. And in that moment, both loved. 

Henry made his way over to the taller man and offered him a hand up. He gently took it, and both were upright, with the fusion hugging the specter as though he would fade away like the most beautiful dream at sunrise. “You...it’s...it’s really you.”

Henry looked to Bella in confusion as he hugged him back. 

Bella sighed and bowed her head, clutching the light in her hands a little tighter. “Henry, this is Mister Cinnamon. Mister Cinnamon, well...I’m sure you’re familiar with Henry from your home.” She turned her head to the ghost. “It’s a bit tough to explain, but he’s actually two fellas smashed together into one, two different Joeys from two different worlds. But he doesn’t mean any harm, they’re both really nice!” 

Henry looked skeptical, but he quickly melted into the magical man’s touch. His heart ached. “I take it you were close with him too then, huhn?” He patted Cinnamon’s back. Why did this hurt so much?   
  
Cinnamon eventually let go to compose himself, taking a handkerchief from his breast pocket to dry his eyes. “My apologies, I-I’m not normally this emotional. It’s just...there’s something horribly sentimental about it all.” He sniffled and blew his nose. “I can’t remember the last time I saw my brother...a-and my son...he’s always been so dear to me.” 

Henry smiled again and held his shoulder. “So they’re family ey...that’s a familiar narrative.” He shook his head. “Even after all these years, Drew was always a part of mine. Had he not dropped out last minute, I would’ve had him as Eliza’s godfather.” He looked to the ground sadly before looking back up. “Let me guess, he’s roped you into this because you have something he wants.”

Cinnamon nodded. “He kidnapped me in the middle of babysitting to try and get the fusion spell out of us.” He glared at the ground. “Horribly uncouth. He doesn’t deserve to wield such power if he can’t treat people decently.” 

“No kidding. I’m no magical expert, but you’ve got all the magic bouncing off of you. You practically reek of it.” He stroked his chin in thought. “I have no idea what he would use that for, or how he even found out about your worlds. I know he stole Bertrum’s monocle, but that’s still not enough to warrant seeing into other dimensions, is it?”

“Beats me,” said Bella. She sighed and held the light. “Either way, we’re all stuck in here together. We need to get back to the camp and form a plan, there’s only so much time left before the loop completes itself again.” She looked up at Henry hopefully. “How is...how’s he doing?”    
  
“Not well.” Henry shook his head. “None of them are. Still recovering from the last surprise Joey left us. But maybe we can fix that.”    
  
Bella nodded and turned to Cinnamon. “We’ll explain everything once we’re there. For now, we’ve got a wall to scale. Time for you to meet the Lost Ones.” She smirked before walking over to Edgar’s still form. “Maybe there we can find some answers for Ricky.”    
  
Cinnamon smiled softly and nodded. He had a determined look in his eyes. “Lead the way.” 

___

Meanwhile, the Drew household was approaching a very late hour. The brownies were decorated, the girls were tuckered out from the extra playtime, and Belphene had grown worried. It was taking too long, where was Giuseppe? Had he not given up yet? 

Ivy smirked from her spot on the back of the recliner. “What’s the matter candletop? You look stressed. Did we not sugar you up enough?”

“O-oh. No no dear, I’m….I’m quite alright.” She held Linda on her lap a little more snuggly, letting the baby fall asleep in her arms.    
  
“Alright, cut the act sweetheart, we all know you’re not Gingie.” Ivy hopped down from her perch and joined her two sisters on the floor. Belphene was horribly flustered. 

“W-what? But I-whatever do you mean? Of course I’m the real Ginger!”

“Puh-lease,” Ivy snickered. “You kept mixing up our nicknames all night, and the playful banter has been a little lacking. We’ve just been playing along for the chocolate.” 

“I-it’s true.” MJ piped up. “B-but we don’t think you mean us any harm, right?”   
  
“Yeah, you let us stay up late and bake more, I can’t be mad at that!” Joy giggled. “So who are you really sir?”

Belphene sighed before handing Linda over to MJ. “Sir?” She smirked, “I think you mean, Madame.” She gave a deep bow. “I am Belphene, Demon of Fortune, bound to the Drew Household.” She looked up at them, sheepishness in her eyes. “I’m sorry for being deceptive before, my contractor asked me to keep up the act for you. But since you’ve figured me out for yourselves, there isn’t much of a point in that, is there?”

Ivy slapped her knee. “HA! I knew it! You totally smell like a demon too! Like seriously, what is it with you guys? Lay off the brimstone, can’t you try something nicer? Like vanilla, or mangoes or somethin’?” 

“My apologies, there isn’t much I can do to mask that.” She chuckled. “Though you’re the first person to pick up on it. I guess being a cartoon has its perks, Alice gets on me for the same things.” 

“Wait, you know Alice? Like, in person?” Joy asked. All three girls had stars in their eyes.

Belphene nodded. “And Bendy and Boris too, even the Butchers. But that makes sense, Joey made a deal with me to bring them all to life in the first place.” 

“No way!” Joy exclaimed. “So are they really like in the cartoons?” 

“They’re just like that and so much more.” She held her hands over her heart. “They’d love you girls I’m sure.” She sighed. “But something in my deal went horribly awry. Joey needs help to set things right, but he’s going about it the wrong way. He thinks he needs magic, but really he just needs to listen…”

MJ raised an eyebrow. “So why exactly are you here then? And where did you send our papas?”

Belphene bowed her head and sat down. “Forgive me girls, I never intended for it to come to this. Your guardians are back within my realm, but I’m certain they’re no longer with Giuseppe, there’s no way my little meddler would let them stay trapped.” She smiled softly. “I promise they’ll come back to you soon. Until then, I’m required to keep watch over you.”

Ivy crossed her arms and frowned. “Well that ain’t too nice of ya, trapping those old farts in another world. Ya can’t just bring ‘em back?” 

“Unfortunately no, that is beyond my power.” She sighed. “I can’t break my master’s wishes, I am bound to follow the will of the Drew Household, no matter how much I dislike it.” 

“Wait...the Drew Household? But...our last name is Drew too.” MJ pointed out.

“It is! So does that mean if we asked you to serve us, you’d have to do it?” Joy asked with a grin. 

Belphene smirked at that. “You ladies catch on pretty quickly, I’m impressed. A shame my contractor never figured out that loophole.” She laughed. “Technically speaking, yes. Were you to give me an order, I would have to obey it, so long as it doesn’t contradict the order I’m currently following.

“So then what if we-”

Then the doorknob turned, and there was a horrible creak. The parents were home.

“What in the-Gingie what the hell, what the  _ hell  _ are the kids doing up at his hour?” Snowy hadn’t even taken off his coat as he looked upon the scene, baffled. “Girls, it is way past your bedtime. Up the stairs with you, teeth brushed!” 

“Aww, come on blizzard lips, don’t be such a killjoy.” Ivy smirked. “We were just about to crack the plot.”   
  
Belphene immediately shrunk back. “Eh heh, sorry Snowy. You know how it is, they’ve got me wrapped around their fingers.” She was sweating nervously, oh goodness he was so much more intimidating in person. 

Snowy rolled his eyes, clearly unamused, but not too terribly surprised. “This is completely irresponsible of you, you know that?” 

Belphene scratched the back of her head. “Yeah, I’ll have to do better next time, sorry about that.”

Snowy merely smirked and shook his head. “I can never leave you alone without supervision, can I?”

Ana piped up. “Um, where is Hyde?” 

Joy raised her hand. “Oh nowhere special, just trapped in another dimension with the real Gingie, getting tortured by another Joey. The usual.” 

Belphene immediately froze. “Well when you say it like that-”

Snowy raised an eyebrow before looking at the imposter. “Excuse me?” He seemed terribly confused. “This is a joke, right? You’re pranking me.” 

Ivy smirked and crossed her arms. “Naw, as fun as that would be, now’s not the time for shenanigans.” The tiny toon turned serious. You know there’s trouble when a cartoon character is serious. “Candletop isn't here Snowstorm.” 

“Neither is Papa.” Mary Jane rubbed at her eyes. It was only now dawning on her what that really meant. “You know how you two came to my dad’s studio? Well now they’re in somebody else’s.”

Joy chimed in. “I didn’t know it was possible to kidnap adults, much less those two!”

Snowy looked around the room in disbelief. How could this be true? Gingie was right there, wasn’t he? Sure, he seemed a bit off, but that could be attributed to being tired, right? It was well past midnight by now, anyone would be tired. But his girls weren’t liars, or at least, they weren’t very good at telling lies, so why should he have any reason to doubt them?

The impostor stepped forward and bowed her head. “I’m sorry, Mr. Drew. I wish the truth of things were different. But the reality is that your friends are in grave danger. Your girls are telling the truth. I never intended for them to be up this late, I swear, but perhaps it’s for the better.” She turned to look at them, a sad smile on her face. “I should’ve figured this was fate’s design. There was a reason we were all put together like this.”

Ana placed a hand on her hip, the other rubbed her forehead. “I’m sorry, this is a bit hard to swallow. If you’re not Gingie, then who are you exactly?”

Belphene smirked and knelt down, gesturing to Ivy and pointing to her hat. “Would you like to do the honors?” 

Ivy grinned and took it off, revealing the true form of the demon beneath its brim. The chorus of ‘oohs’ from the girls got her blushing a little as her shoulders scrunched up. Belphene carefully stood up and bowed to him. “I am known as Belphene, demon bound to the Drew Household. And you, my good sir, have a madman to go after. My contractor, Giuseppe Drew, is holding your friends captive.

This was a lot to process, it would’ve driven anyone mad. But there it was, right in front of Snowy, the truth. There were so many thoughts flooding his mind, so many emotions. Betrayal, anger, and most importantly, fear for what was being done to his friends.

“Ex-CUSE me?!” Snowy grabbed Belphene by the collar. “What have you done to them! What are you doing with my children?”

Joy tugged at his pant leg. “Daddy, put her down, she’s not gonna hurt us!” 

MJ nodded as she covered Linda’s ears. “Yeah, she’s been taking care of us ever since Linda woke up. Miss Belphene hasn’t done anything bad to us. If anything, she can help us rescue them.” 

Snowy looked around the room, dumbfounded and confused before throwing the demon into the recliner. “Alright, you have a lot of explaining to do, miss, erhm, what was it again?”

“Belphene, sir.” She bowed again. “Mr. Giuseppe Drew has your friends trapped back in his realm. I was sent to babysit. He can be cruel, but he wouldn’t dare hurt children.”    
  
Ivy piped up while she hung from the top of the staircase. “Apparently she’s gotta serve anyone that qualifies as a Drew too, so technically she can help us get them back.”

“Assuming you give me the right orders, yes.” She nods. 

Ana rubbed her chin in thought. “That’s a mighty large loophole for a contract, I take it there’s another purpose for that?” 

Belphene smirked. “You folks of all people know how important family is. Sometimes it’s the people you’re related to, but other times? It’s the people you choose to love.”

“I see…” Ana pondered it for a moment. “So there’s someone close to him that’s not biologically related, that’s why your deal is written that way, isn’t it?”

Snowy had to use all of his willpower not to smack the demon right then and there. How dare she, how dare anyone do that to them!

“Right on the mark Madame. No wonder your girls are so smart, they’ve got some great guardians to teach them.” She smiled and bowed her head. “Thankfully for you, my deal didn’t account for alternate dimensions. If we can concoct a plan, I’m sure we could loophole our way into getting all of you back together again.” She turned a knowing eye to the girls. “For now though, it’s way past somebody’s bedtime. You ladies better get back to dreamland, otherwise you’ll be too tired to greet everyone when they get home.” 

“Aww, but it was just getting to the good part!” Ivy huffed and crossed her arms before pulling herself back up. 

Belphene laughed. “I’m sorry dears. It’s been great getting to meet you though, you’re the sweetest bunch I’ve ever had the pleasure of watching.” 

MJ waddled over and hugged Belphene around the middle. “You promise you’ll bring Papa home?” 

The demon knelt beside her and nodded, hugging her tightly. “I promise, they will come home one way or another.”

Snowy tapped his foot impatiently. “Alright kids, bed. We have some work to do.” 

There was a bit of a fuss and dramatic sighing, but the girls headed upstairs with Ana, while Snowy confronted the demon in his living room. His glare was as cold as his demeanor, his arms crossed and his face twisted in suspicion. 

“Explain this to me. Why should I trust you when you’re responsible for why those two are trapped in the first place?” 

“I dunno, not harming your daughters is a pretty good start.” She smirked. 

“Don’t you get cheeky with me, you damn demon.” He scoffed. “I’ve seen what the likes of your kind have done in Hyde’s world. You’re just an accident waiting to happen, Hell waiting to be unleashed.” 

“Well no duh, I mean have you seen where we come from?” Belphene rolled her eyes and placed a hand on her hip. “You’ve got it all wrong. I may be responsible for the magical side of things, but the orders I’m given are ones I’m forced to obey, otherwise it all goes south. It’s not like I  _ enjoy _ doing this crap.” She looks him in the eyes, far more serious now. “But that’s exactly why it’s so vital that you’re the one that got left behind. I know what my Joey’s been looking into, I know he’s afraid of you. You have the best chance at putting an end to this.” 

“Afraid? Of me? Well he should be, but I can’t imagine why.” Snowy smirked. 

Belphene couldn’t help but giggle. “You command more respect than any other Drew I’ve seen, it’s quite intimidating. You’re also smart, which helps significantly.” She stuck her hand out. “So what do you say, ready to go save your loved ones?”

“Um, hell no.” He sneered and turned up his nose at her hand. “You haven’t given me a damn good reason to trust you. You may not have harmed my girls, but you’ve soiled Gin’s name and you took them both away.” 

“So you think this is another trap then, to get you in there with them?”

“Yes! Of course it is, why wouldn’t it be?!” He glared. Admittedly he felt kind of dumb for not thinking of that first, because that’s totally what it was, wasn’t it?

Belphene shook her head and held her temples before sitting back down in the chair. “Sweet Lucifer, why is it every Joey I come across is batshit crazy or naive? I thought you were the perfect one to leave behind so that they’d stand a chance at getting out. Clearly I was wrong.” 

“I beg your pardon!” He jabbed his finger in her face. “Listen you demonic bitch, if it weren’t for you, my friends wouldn’t be in danger in the first place! If you didn’t want anything bad to happen, then what the hell were you doing coming into our lives in the first place?” 

Belphene glared back and pushed his hand away from her. “I never wanted this!” She shouted back. “I never thought my contract would go so wrong, okay?! I was young and stupid and drafted it very very poorly back then, and that awful man has strung me along for decades since! Do you have any idea how awful it feels, how much blood there is that I can never clean off of my hands?” She had tears in her eyes now, and they were falling fast. “And to top it all off, with the deal still incomplete, I don’t have a damn soul to my name! Without their power, I can’t do anything to change this without help! You are literally the only hope that anyone has right now, between your friends and mine! Your stubbornness could be the difference between them making it back home and the multiverse getting destroyed!”

Snowy was a bit taken aback. He was still fuming, how could he not be given the circumstances? But as he thought about it, the monster in front of him had a valid point. This could be his only chance to rescue Gin and Jekyll. They were his family just as much as anyone under this roof was, and the thought of them perishing like that...it was too much to bear. He didn’t trust the demon, he couldn’t feel sympathetic given the circumstances, but he could see the tears being shed weren’t at all fake. No, he had too much experience with crocodile tears to not know the difference by now. 

He sighed. “Alright, I get your point. I don’t like it, but I get it. Just...why did you come after us in the first place? What does he want with us?”

Belphene rubbed at her eyes, struggling to regain her composure. It wasn’t until a little silver glow escaped her chest that she calmed down a little, holding her heart with grief. 

“Mr. Giuseppe stole an item from Bertrum, a magic lens that can see the unseen. He’d been reading a book about the multiverse theory and decided to see if he could tap into it...he’s been watching so many worlds for months now.” She sniffled. “When he happened upon your world, well...you had everything he could ever dream of. A loving family, bright future, stability, and most importantly...happiness. Second most important though, was magic.” She slowly got up and held her heart as she spoke, her claws grasped tightly at her dress. “When he saw the way you fused together, how harmonious and wonderful it was, he wanted it for himself...I’m afraid for what he intends to use it for.”

Snowy cocked his head at that, eyes narrowed. “And just what does that bastard intend to do with something like that?” 

“There’s, well, there’s someone very important to him, someone that doesn’t see eye to eye with him anymore.” She shook her head. “I worry he’ll try to force them to join together with him.”

Snowy pinched the bridge of his nose. “You can’t be serious. That’s not how fusion works! It has to be something you willfully do, otherwise it doesn’t work properly.” 

“So you can see why I’m concerned, right?”

“Well of course!” Snowy crossed his arms, not really sure what to do with his hands while so angry. He still ended up gesturing all over the place as he spoke though. “Doing something like that without giving the other person a choice is dangerous! The effects it could have on both of their minds would be catastrophic.” He linked his hands together. “A fusion isn’t just two or more people put together, it’s the birth of an entirely new person. It’s a collection of thoughts, feelings, experiences, and so much more. You can’t hide anything, everything is out in the open, all  _ vulnerable. _ ” 

Belphene knew that the magic her contractor sought out was powerful, but hearing this only reaffirmed her previous fears. “We can’t let that happen. That spell can’t get into his hands.” She dug her claws into her skin anxiously. “I can’t let them get hurt, he tried to mess with their mind once before, I won’t let him do it again. Can fusion even be done with mind control as a factor?”

“I have no idea, and I’m not sure I want to find out.” Snowy sighed and adjusted his hair, leaning against a table. “Look, I’m not keen on any of this, but I’ll be damned if I let my friends get harmed. If what you say is true, you’re supposedly forced to obey my orders too, right?”

Belphene nodded. “You’re part of the Drew family, therefore I am bound to your will. Just understand, my power is limited. My Joey made the deal, therefore his orders take precedence, but that still gives you a lot of free reign.”

“Oh yeah? Prove it.” He stared her down skeptically.

The demon rubbed her chin in thought. “Hmm, well, I suppose the best way to do that is to fulfill an order. Ask me for something.”

“Alright, hmm…” Snowy looked around. He needed something, but what? Then his eyes turned to the kitchen. It was still a mess of sprinkles and chocolate. 

“I order you to clean my kitchen!”

“What’s the magic word?”

“You can’t be fricking serious.” He groaned. “Please, clean my damn kitchen.” 

“As you wish, Master Snowy.” She grinned, far too gleefully for his liking. 

With a wave of her hand and the lighting up of a rune on her forehead, a blue fire quickly engulfed the kitchen, but before he could shout, it quickly blew itself out, leaving the room spotless. Dishes done and dried, dessert in containers for individual servings, countertops cleared, and no sign of any burn damage. 

He was ready to smack her. That nearly gave him a heart attack, and while he was one of the younger Drews in their trio, he was still too freaking old for that. “Did you have to use fire?!”

“Hey, it’s magic, it manifests how it likes.” She shrugged. “But I proved myself, didn’t I?” She pointed to her forehead and the glowing rune. “See how it’s blue? Normally it would be purple if Giuseppe gave me an order. That is of course, in a world that has color, it might be different in the studio, never actually checked. The color changes depending on who’s given me the order.” She smirked. “So chief, now that I’m all yours, what’s your plan?”

Snowy rubbed his chin in thought. How was he going to do this? He wouldn’t admit to it out loud, but he was lousy when it came to plans like this. If only his friends were here. That gave him something to start with at least.

“Alright. Well to start, I guess our best move is to go find Gingie and Jekyll. Can you take me to them?”

“As you wish, Master Drew.” She smirked, and with the snap of her fingers, an inky void opened beside her. 

He didn’t know how to feel about that title. “Can you also grant me protection from...whatever the hell that is?” The sight of the portal made his skin crawl. It was so inky and disturbing, why did it have to look so awful?    
  
“Relax, that stuff can’t hurt you. But if it would make you feel better-” She snapped her fingers again and it turned a blue grey, much more pleasant to look at. “There, better?”

“It’ll have to do.” He held up a finger. “Wait one moment.” He went into the kitchen and grabbed a knife from the butcher block. His brain was a little scrambled at the moment, but he needed something to defend himself with, and that was the first thing he could think of. Sure, that was more Magenta’s speed, but whatever worked in a pinch, right?

Belphene nodded and stepped one foot in before reaching out a hand to him. “Ready?” 

“Not like I have a choice.” He took a deep breath before taking his own step in, not daring to touch her hand as he crossed. 

“Hang on you two. I’m coming for you.”

And with that, they were gone.

Little did they know whose eyes watched them as they departed. Ivy had heard everything. 

“This just got interesting.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOW! That took a while to finish, but it's so good to finally share this! I'll admit, I was stuck at Snowy's introduction for the longest time, but surprise, he's here, and he's gonna kick ass! A very special thank you to Aceofintuition for helping me get him down right, it's been great getting to chat with you about this, same to you two Star and Tak! Love you folks so much!
> 
> So yeah, I've had some pieces of this done for months and others eluding me for a while. As you can see, if you've been keeping up with Searching the Depths, some of those ideas made it into here, since writing the two at the same time can definitely get the wires twisted. Really excited to introduce both Snowy from Ace's work and my Henry, the golden specter. I love this old man, and writing him as a ghost has been a treat. Admittedly, this does spoil some of what I have planned for Depths in the future, but you'll see why that's not too big of a deal soon enough. 
> 
> And Snowy, oh my god, Snowy. This man, this man is a freaking delight. Obviously I love Gin and Hyde, and their respective artists' works, otherwise I wouldn't be spending more than a year making sure this story is as high of a quality as it can be. But danggit, sometimes you don't know just how fun a character can be to work with until you really dive in. All of these gentlemen are just so darn charming, And their kids are too. Ivy in particular is such a delight to write for, I love a good dose of sass now and again. I always intended for the girls to be the ones to crack the loophole plotpoint, and that was so satisfying to put down. Honestly, I'm kind of sad that there won't be as much of them until the end. There's a little more to go, but two chapters should bring this tale to a close. After Demonth, I'll try to get back to it. XD Please, let me know what you think, I love hearing from you guys!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you all so much for reading my fic! I hope you enjoyed it, and I hope you're looking forward to part two once I've completed it. Please, if you've got any thoughts, let me know, it always brightens my day to hear from you!
> 
> Credits:  
Characters Included:  
(Note, all of these usernames are relevant to Tumblr, if you guys are reading this and you have an A03 account, let me know so I can tag you on here, I want to read your work and I'm sure other folks do too!)
> 
> Briefly Alluded to:  
Edward (@metallicartist)  
Magenta (Chestnut) (@halfusek)  
Algernon (@wolfheart7snow)  
Joy (@obscurelog)
> 
> Snowy, Ana, and Joy, (Frosty) (@aceofintuition)  
Gingie and Baby Linda, (Cinnamon and Frosty) (@pipesflowforeverandever)  
Hyde, Mary Jane, and Ivy, (Cinnamon, Chestnut, and Frosty) (@starartistdoodles)  
Giuseppe, Bella, Eliza Stein, Polaris, and Belphene (me, @inkabelledesigns)
> 
> Sammy Lawrence, Henry Stein, Bertrum Piedmont, and Joey Drew all belong to Kindly Beast as part of the Bendy and the Ink Machine property. I do not own these characters, but this fiction does include them and my interpretations of them.
> 
> A huge thank you to Tak and Star for giving me the okay to post this, and for all your kind words behind the scenes. It's incredibly important to me when working with someone else's content that I do a quality job, and when the people behind such great works are more accessible to talk to about it, it's worth taking the time to do so to get it right. This was such a joy to write during my move to a new home. And yeah, I wrote this all by hand, with a pen in a notebook, before typing it up to be seven pages long in Google Docs. Ow my hands. It was so worth it though. Super excited to write the next part, time to get my notebook!


End file.
